Chapter 4 #3
As I get closer, I notice that the door is cracked open. Light tries to push through the sliver, but a shadow moving inside the room snuffs out the stream.
“Avrum?”
My feet freeze mid-step at the sound of my name coming from Haven’s lips. She’s standing near the wall, under one of the gas lamps, with the shimmering white light cascading down upon her. Highlighting her beauty and making my heartbeat pick up its pace.
I swallow.
It shouldn’t be this hard to control myself around her. It really shouldn’t.
She looks at the doors at the end of the hall, and then back to my face. It appears something is plaguing her thoughts, like there’s something she wants to say to me, but she’s struggling to find the words. She rubs her rose-petal lips together, a simple gesture that makes my muscles tense.
Those lips… I want to feel them against mine, taste them, so fiercely, it’s hard to focus on anything else.
“Yes?” I urge her, chest tight.
“Did you… send Emma to see how I was feeling tonight?” she asks.
I hesitate. “Emma?”
She glances back at Henri’s door, her movements stiff and jerky. “A girl,” she explains. “A maid?”
Oh. The young servant girl. It’s not what I expect her to ask me, but I answer it anyway. “Yes, I did.”
She crosses her arms about her chest. A gesture of protection, I’m coming to recognize, and her fingers slide up and down the smooth skin on her arms. “Why?”
I blink at her, confused. “Why, what?”
“Why did you send her to check on me?”
My tongue feels too heavy to speak. I’m not quite sure what to say. Besides the truth. “I… was worried about you.”
Her brows rise in disbelief. “Worried?”
I nod and shuffle closer to her. “You were upset when I found you in Birmingham, and I wanted to make sure you—”
The slow squeal of old hinges pulls my attention from her. Lord Henri’s study door opens, and Henri steps through with a lifeless, stone-carved expression on his face. Compared to when I’d seen him in the library, he looks annoyed and angered by something.
Uneasy, I take a quick step back and run quivering hands over my jacket.
The lord comes over with a predator’s grace, his eyes traveling over each of us. They linger on Haven when he asks, “How was your walk, my love?”
Something changes in her then. Her hands drop to her sides and she clenches them into tight fists. There’s ferocity in her eyes. “It was too short,” she snaps.
Despite her anger, Lord Henri keeps the same cool resolve. The air thickens around us with something unsaid, and a warning zips up my spine.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He turns to me. “And thank you for seeing that she was safe.”
I try to not show my discomfort and bow, but I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something here. Something big.
“It is good to know there are still some loyal men in this coven.” He switches his cane into his other hand. “Loyalty is a hard thing to find nowadays, I’m afraid.”
“I owe you my life,” I reply, though his comment strikes me as odd.
“This is true.”
Haven rolls her eyes to the ceiling.
Remembering that I have something more to tell him, I clear my throat. “Er—my lord?”
He tilts his head my way, telling me to continue.
“When I found Haven, Cornelius and Keagan were there,” I say.
His brows crease in confusion. “Cornelius?”
“He was doing rounds with Keagan, but I found them stalking Haven. They were saying vulgar things, grabbing—”
“Stop.” His body rigid, his eyes flash a shade darker. “Is this true?” he asks Haven.
She presses her lips together, unsure if she should answer. But that’s enough confirmation for him because he grunts and whirls back to me. “Why was Cornelius doing the guard rounds with Keagan?”
So, Henri doesn’t know about Lysander’s deal with Cornelius and the duel. If I say anything more, I could damn my friend.
“Er—”
“Speak, boy!” he shouts, blackness fully swallowing the irises and whites of his eyes. The power in his voice makes me flinch back. I’ve never him angry before. Let alone yelling.
“Cornelius challenged Lysander to a duel and lost,” I blurt out. “The deal was that Cornelius would take over Lysander’s guard duties for some time.”
I expect him to lash out again, but to my relief, he draws in a deep breath and rolls his shoulders back, regaining his composure. His eyes return to their normal color, but he stands straighter, his body full of suppressed tension.
“I never approved of your little duels,” he mutters, “but I suppose everyone is allowed their fun.”
Still a bit stunned by the outlash, I don’t know what to do besides nod.
“Well,” Henri begins, much gentler, “it’s midmorning, and you need your rest.”
“I can escort Haven to her room before I go to my own,” I offer.
Henri’s gaze snaps to me. “No, you’ve done enough this evening. Thank you.”
I glance at Haven, who is standing very still beside us. I don’t understand all that’s happened here, but a part of me doesn’t want to leave her alone. Not yet. Not with him. I can read the unspoken hatred in her eyes as she continues to stare Henri down in silence.
I want to stay, but my hesitation is already peaking Henri’s annoyance again.
“I said, thank you,” he repeats through clenched teeth.
Jaw set, I bow before walking in the opposite direction down the hall to my own bedroom, fighting the urge to look over my shoulder the entire way.